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“Father, make of me a crisis man. Bring those I contact to decision. Let me not be a milepost on a single road;make me a fork, that men must turn one way or another on facing Christ in me.” - Jim Elliot

Monday, January 28, 2013

Nurture: Bridging The Gap

As I embark on a new adventure of leading the ladies' mentoring program at my church, I was reminded of this post I wrote on Monday, August 30, 2010. It is such a joy to remember how it all began for me... and to see the two beautiful women who started it all as they continue to grow and touch lives around them. (Also, for those of you going through The Bait of Satan Series authored by John Bevere, Lisa is his wife.)

Nurture: Bridging The Gap
Monday, August 30th, 2010

Burnside Bridge, Antietam Battlefield

Sharpsburg, Maryland

We are heartsick and in need of intimate, safe connections so we can in turn heal and help others. ~ Nurture by Lisa Bevere

"Why
me? Why would two precious young moms ask me to mentor them? And what
exactly does that mean? Is a mentor like a coach? Is there a class I
could take to learn how to be a mentor? What about a book?"

These
were my thoughts last summer. I had shared my home and heart with
these two sisters through Bible Study. They were anxious to have a
deeper walk with the Lord... and there was something they saw in me that
might help them along that path. I was clueless about mentoring, but I
knew I wanted this opportunity to be used by the Lord, so I accepted
their invitation.

Stumbling along without help from a
book or class, I began meeting with them one-on-one. Learning more
about who they are... how I could come alongside them... and basically
just listening and encouraging. I noticed that a lot of my mentoring
had to do with affirmation or offering perspective. And love and
sharing life and hugs.

It is an honor to see these
women grow in the Lord. As they touch the lives of those around them.
As they dig deeper into the Word. As they love and pray for their
families. They have so much God-given potential... it is a gift to be
part of their inner circle and to be called their friend and mentor.

Still,
I wanted a formula. Perhaps a workbook. I wanted to make sure I was
doing it right. I didn't want to let them down. So, one of my goals
this year was to learn more about mentoring. And God was faithful to
bring a resource into my life... through a woman who I consider to be my
blogging mentor, Elaine Olsen at peace for the journey.

As
I was passing through Elaine's profile page back in May to get to
her blog (although I normally get there through bloglines), I saw a list
of her favorite books. Nurture by Lisa Bevere
caught my eye. I had just minutes before been on my local public
library's website looking for mentoring books. I saw the cover of
Nurture on the library's website but flew right past it. I about fell
over when I clicked on her profile... saw Nurture... searched for
it... and saw the exact SAME cover. I immediately went back to the
library website and reserved it. I contacted Elaine and told her the
story and she said...

I'll one up you on this
one... I have a spare copy of Nurture that I was saving for the right
moment... that moment has come. It will be in the mail to you tomorrow!
I LOVE that book. I think there's also a study to go with...

So
I have been reading Nurture by Lisa Bevere over the summer. Lisa
Bevere focuses on mentors who nurture... almost more like a spiritual
mother. And as I read through the book, I realized that through my
nurturing I had been mentoring all along.

In the meanwhile, God had
brought me alongside a friend this summer who had been asked to oversee
an upcoming mentoring program at our church. Through prayer it was
confirmed that I should join her as she begins this new adventure! It
is just a confirmation of how important it is to pray and then watch.
Looking to see where and how God is working. He always seems to answer
prayers abundantly more than I even ask.